HPU Women's XC Ready to Get Back Out to the Battlefield

Women's Cross Country September 14, 2023 Becca Ball

HPU Women's XC Ready to Get Back Out to the Battlefield

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University women's cross country team is hungry for higher competition heading into the Virginia Tech Alumni meet on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

"The ladies are hungry to get back out there on the battlefield," HPU Women's Cross Country Head Coach Remy Tamer said. "We don't have many opportunities to test ourselves in competition so every time we get that chance we intend to take full advantage of it. Virginia Tech's course is pure cross country and an honest measurement of toughness. That, matched with strong competition, makes this a tremendous opportunity."

HPU has been preparing for Virginia Tech's Buford Meredith Cross Country Course by running hills in practice. Although hills are a staple of training for the Panthers, the team has put an extra emphasis on its importance for the upcoming meet.

"I've never seen the Virginia Tech course before and I've heard it's very difficult," freshman Brianna Malone said. "I'm confident everyone is going to do their best because we've been training hard and know how to handle the pain."

Virginia Tech University features an all-grass 5K course, which is regarded by HPU cross country coaches as a "pure cross country course." The layout takes runners through different types of terrain such as meadows and wooded areas, with several slopes and inclines throughout, truly challenging even the most experienced racers.

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— HPU T&F/XC (@HPUTrack) September 14, 2023

"At Elon, our coach told us to turn our minds off and just race, and it honestly made it a much better racing experience," Malone said. "So I will try to use that mindset during the race again, but also use my excitement to motivate me."

Following the Elon Opener, Malone was named Big South Female Runner of the Week, an impressive feat as a first-year student-athlete.

"It was exciting because I definitely did not expect it," Malone said. "I didn't really have any expectations for myself for the first meet or this season in general since this season is sort of a learning experience and figuring out how college athletics and the team works."

HPU finished second at the Elon Opener with four of the eight runners finishing in the top-10. First across the line was Malone, who finished in seventh place with a time of 13:33.5. Katie Taylor was next for the Panthers, landing in eighth place at 13:39.0. Paris Stankewich, running her second collegiate meet, posted a time of 13:45.3, putting her in ninth. Rounding out the top-10 was another freshman, Elizabeth Ritter, who ran a time of 13:54.1, good for 10th place.

#GoHPU

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Players Mentioned

Katie Taylor: 5' 7"; Senior

Paris Stankewich: Freshman

Brianna Malone: Freshman

Elizabeth Ritter: 5' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Katie Taylor
: 5' 7"; Senior

Paris Stankewich
: Freshman

Brianna Malone
: Freshman

Elizabeth Ritter
: 5' 2"; Freshman